Whose decision is it?

I am a Malaysian politician what! You apa tanya?

I spent the past few days in Ipoh for some work related matters. Being there, I happened to ask people in Ipoh how they felt about the political situation there. I think what I gathered can be summarised by the following three words " betrayal, disappointment and amazement". By and large I would say that this is the general feeling in Ipoh.

The court of appeal is set to make a decision on who the people of Perak would be having as the MB today. Amazing isn't it? I always thought that this choice was one for the Rakyat to make. Anyway, I am not holding my breath on this one. In fact I have been saying "fresh elections" so many times that I am guilty of being a parrot somewhat. The only way this political impasse is going to be resolved is by having fresh elections. Period.

There was one comment that someone made in Ipoh that made me write this post. On the day of the DUN sitting, the police had cordoned of the area. Only state assemblymen were allowed in. Even the MP's and people with invitation letters from the Speaker were turned away! Security was that tight. No one other than the elected assemblymen were allowed in. If that was to be the case....what was Ganesan doing in the Dewan? He is not an elected assemblyman. Why did the police allow Mr Ganesan into the house? Strangely and rather conveniently this stranger to the house gets elected to be the new Speaker in place of the existing legitimate one. Before one can say "behold and presto" the new not so legitimate Speaker "orders" the police to remove the legitimate sitting Speaker! I must say that the role of the police in this sordid episode had clearly shown that the police had taken sides with the BN. Shame on you boys in blue for taking sides!

Speaking of the boys in blue, the arrests of the 5 legal aid lawyers outside the Brickfields police station recently is to be condemned. Clearly the OCPD of the said station does not know the provisions of the CPC or if knows chose to ignore it. The police arrests of the 5 and their subsequent treatment whilst in detention clearly amplifies the need for an urgent review of the laws and powers governing the police. It is a question of who is policing the police? The police cannot be allowed to be a law unto themselves! Watch this video http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/17034 The police must be held accountable and held responsible for their wrongdoings against the 5. What made matters worse is the fact that government ministers had their usual words of utter nonsense to say when asked to comment about the incident. I am always amazed how these so called "learned" people are incapable of speaking intelligently nor rationally time and again. Their scant disregard for clear provisions of the law make me believe that there is a precondition attached to their letters of appointment....."STUPIDITY REQUIRED AND ENCOURAGED".

M V Nathan